Polynesian entertainment in home

by Sue Doerfler - Dec. 10, 2005 12:00 AMThe Arizona Republic

When Carole Dickinson asked Gabrielle Roeckelein to furnish her hillside Scottsdale home, she knew the interior designer's choices would be just what she wanted: Asian/Polynesian styling with an emphasis on entertaining and comfort.

Roeckelein, of Park Avenue Design, had worked with Dickinson and her husband, Mike, before. Roeckelein established a comfort factor by incorporating a few favorite furnishings from the couple's previous home. She custom-designed other pieces to get the right feel.

One new piece is a round wood cocktail table, which is the focal point of the living room. Made of wood, the table is reminiscent of a fire pit with its center "pit" filled with polished stones. Just like a fire pit, it's the ideal conversation place when friends are visiting. Six Polynesian-styled chairs, with low backs and built-in lumbar support, encircle the table. A simple yet functional dark-wood shelving unit spans the living-room wall and offers the perfect location for slender vases filled with flowers and for draped amaranthus.

Carole Dickinson says the conversation area is a welcome change from the typical formal living room that rarely gets used.

The room has picture-window views of city lights and desert vegetation. A built-in bar, faced in tambor wood with a granite countertop, provides additional seating. The dining room has a Japanese look, with sushi place settings and a reed table runner.

A ledgestone fireplace separates the dining and family rooms. The latter is definitely a family space, with its comfortable chairs and sofa.

The family room is open to the kitchen, which features sleek stainless-steel KitchenAid appliances and granite countertops.

The master suite, decorated in rich purples, is on the main floor and has a sitting area and fireplace perfect for quiet times. The basement, which, because of the home's hillside location, is open to the back yard, is the domain of Ryan, the Dickinsons' son. The pool table and large-screen television provide hours of entertainment.

The home, bedecked for the holidays with shiny ornaments and textural foliage that followed the green, rust and gold color theme, was featured during last weekend's Tour de Noel 2005, an annual holiday tour presented by the Arizona North Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and Arizona Foothills magazine.

Reach the reporter at sue.doerfler@arizonarepublic .com or (602) 444-8236.